Page 61 of Waking Roslyn

Roslyn

We didn’t bother trying to salvage the evening. Once Sir James and Her Highness left the dining room, Edmund scoffed in disgust and said, “We’re going.”

Lisette and I had no choice but to follow.

The carriage pulled up to the front of Bridgefield, and Edmund got out in a huff with Lisette scrambling after him. I followed quietly behind Lisette as she hurried up the steps after Edmund. He didn’t wait for a servant to open the front door for him, he just yanked it open and stomped through, throwing it closed behind him so that it slammed in his wife’s face.

She growled in frustration and reached for the handle, but it opened before she could touch it. A startled butler stood on the other side, trying to hide his surprise but unable.

“Thank you,” Lisette said shortly, breezing past him and walking toward Edmund, who was fighting to remove his overcoat while ignoring the footman trying to help him. “Really, Edmund, was that necessary?”

He managed to free his arms and flung the coat against a wall before whirling on her. “Necessary? Necessary? Was that dinner party necessary? No! But I went, because you asked it of me.”

“And I am mortified by the way you acted,” she said, her voice rising. I was proud of her for standing up for herself; she usually just tried to keep the peace when Edmund got angry. “You promised me that you would not insult them, and yet you had nothing but insults to give.”

“What did you expect?” he said, curling his lip. “I made my feelings about the Suttons perfectly clear.”

“Clear? Your feelings about this situation have been anything but clear. I know you are unhappy, but you haven’t told me why. You haven’t told me if it’s the house or the people. How was I to know that you hated your nearest neighbors?”

“I told you to stay away from the princess. Was that not clear?”

Lisette pursed her lips, then let out a little huff. “But you didn’t tell me why, so I had no way of knowing if it was an offhand comment or something you truly wanted me to take to heart.”

He stepped toward her, his eyes blazing as he shoved a finger in her face. “I do not speak just to hear myself talk, my lady. You would do well to take everything I say to heart.”

Lisette glared. “And you would do well to remember that I am not one of your servants.” She shoved his hand out of her face, and I cheered internally for her courage.

But then Edmund’s face turned a mottled red and he grabbed both her upper arms in a fierce grip. “Do not test my patience.”

My actions were involuntary. I didn’t mean to get in the middle of their argument. I never made the decision to step up and try to pry his hands away from her. It just happened.

Not that it did any good.

My interference angered him more. He shouted in incoherent rage, releasing Lisette long enough that he could backhand me across the face.

Lights popped in front of my eyes and I blinked, realizing I was sitting on the floor, my hands having caught me from face-planting on the ground.

“Get out of my sight, both of you,” Edmund raged from above me.

I felt Lisette hook her arm underneath my own, and she heaved me up. I did my best to help, but my head was spinning and everything sounded muffled.

“Come along, dear,” she said as she hurried me away.

My head pounded, and I had difficulty making my eyes focus as she pulled me toward the stairs.

The butler appeared on my other side and took most of my weight, helping me up the stairs so that Lisette didn’t have to. By the time we reached the top, I was recovered enough that I was walking on my own, but the butler still held a supportive arm around my waist.

Lisette came into my room with me and asked the butler to summon my maid.

When he left, she turned to me, her face ashen and shocked. “You shouldn’t have interfered.”

“He was hurting you,” I muttered as I sat on the trunk at the foot of my bed, shaking in shock.

“And now you are hurt.” She knelt down in front of me and looked at my face. “You should have let me handle him.” Even as she tended to my bruised face, I could feel her hands shaking.

I grabbed her hand, forcing her to look at me. “Lisette, you must tell me. Has he ever done that before? Has he ever—”

“No.” Her voice was a ragged whisper. “Never. We’ve argued, but he’s never…” She took in a careful breath and then let it out. She pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to my cheek, making me wince. It came away stained red. “I’m so, so sorry, Rosie.”